China's Dark Matter Particle Explorer, nicknamed "Wukong" or "Monkey King," will extend its service in space by two years, as it is still in good condition and collecting key scientific data. The research team operating the satellite said Monday that Wukong's key performance indicators have barely changed compared with three years ago when it was launched as China's first dark matter probe satellite.

Research News

Can volcanic eruptions cause ozone loss? The answer is yes. After volcanic eruptions, the sulfur dioxides emitted during the eruption form sulfate aerosols, which are tiny droplets suspending in the atmosphere. When the sulfate aerosol is transported to the Antarctic stratosphere, the ozone-depleting substances are activated there and subsequently, the Antarctic ozone layer is thinned.

Scientists from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology reported that analysis of fossil specimens of a flower called Nanjinganthus from the Early Jurassic (more than 174 million years ago) suggests that flowers originated 50 million years earlier than previously thought.

A research team from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics conducted three-month simultaneous real-time online measurements of aerosol particle composition at ground level and 260 m on the Beijing 325 m meteorological tower using two aerosol mass spectrometers.

Multimedia News

Exoskeleton robot, produced by Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology (SIAT) of Chinese Academy of Sciences, is used for rehabilitation training in hospital and personal self-care at home. The robot consists of complete drive and control system, a pair of smart crutches, multi-sensor system, and adjustable structure of active joints. Paralyzed people or the aged will get power and walking assistance by wearing it. Flexible exoskeleton robot is a new high-tech product which absorbs the advanced technology in various fields and improves the wearer's mobility.

Yangtze finless porpoises swim at the Yangtze River Dolphin aquarium in the Institute of Hydrobiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, on Nov. 10, 2018.